Endoscopic closure of gastrointestinal perforations and fistulas using the Ovesco Over-The-Scope Clip system at a tertiary care hospital center

Manejo de perforaciones, fugas y fístulas del tracto gastrointestinal con clip sobre el endoscopio. Experiencia de un centro oncológico Latinoamericano

Introducción. Las fístulas derivadas de enfermedades neoplásicas del tracto digestivo, así como las fugas posteriores a procedimientos quirúrgicos, no son infrecuentes y ocasionan una morbilidad importante cuando se manejan de forma quirúrgica. También durante los procedimientos endoscópicos se pueden presentar perforaciones y, si se logra un manejo no operatorio, se alcanza una adecuada recuperación. El objetivo de este estudio fue describir las características clínicas y los resultados de los pacientes con perforaciones, fístulas y fugas del tracto gastrointestinal, manejadas endoscópicamente con clip sobre el endoscopio. Métodos. Estudio descriptivo, retrospectivo, de pacientes con perforación, fuga o fístula postoperatoria, llevados a endoscopía digestiva con colocación de clip sobre el endoscopio, en el Instituto Nacional de Cancerología en Bogotá, D.C., Colombia, entre enero de 2016 y abril de 2020. Resultados. Se incluyeron 21 pacientes, 52,4 % de ellos mujeres. La mediana de edad fue de 66 años y del diámetro del defecto fue de 9 mm. En el 95 % se logró éxito técnico. Hubo éxito clínico temprano en el 85,7 % de los casos. El 76,1 % de los pacientes permanecieron sin síntomas a los 3 meses de seguimiento. Conclusiones. El manejo de perforaciones, fugas y fístulas con clip sobre el endoscopio parece ser factible y seguro. En la mayoría de estos pacientes se logró la liberación del clip y la identificación endoscópica del cierre inmediatamente después del procedimiento; sin embargo, en el caso de las fístulas, no se alcanzó el éxito clínico tardío en todos los casos.

The management of postoperative upper alimentary tract fistulas: A single-center experience of endoscopic tissue glue repair and recommendations of a systematic review

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

The appropriate management of postoperative upper alimentary tract fistula (UATF) remains uncertain. The efficacy of esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) tissue glue repair in the treatment of patients with postoperative UATF was explored. We also conducted a systematic review of the literature regarding the inpatient management of UATF.

METHODS

Totally 24 patients received EGD tissue glue repair for postoperative UATF at our institute from April 2014 to April 2020. Independent characteristics of size of fistula, location of the UATF, complications, and recurrences were analyzed. PubMed and Cochrane Library databases were reviewed. A pooled analysis was performed, and subgroup analysis was conducted separately for different anatomic locations and techniques.

RESULTS

With a mean follow-up of 40 months, the fistula failed to close with EGD tissue glue repair in 2 of 24 patients (8.3%). Eight patients required repeated EGD tissue glue repair, which was more frequent in oral or thoracic UATF (p = 0.053), but all achieved a successful seal in the EGD tissue after glue repair alone (n = 22). The fistula size was correlated with the demand for repeated EGD tissue glue repair (p = 0.017). Besides, a total of 30 studies regarding 2356 cases of postoperative UATF between 2010 and 2021 were retrieved and analyzed. Several non-operative methods were generally accepted as the initial approach, with a non-inferior success rate compared to operative techniques.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest that no single approach toward UATF is superior in terms of success rate and healing time. The potential advantages of EGD tissue glue repair after drainage were more suitable for patients with postoperative UATF and multiple comorbidities.

Endoscopic treatment of primary aorto-enteric fistulas: A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND

Primary aorto-enteric fistula (PAEF) is a rare condition, traditionally treated in the acute, bleeding phase with open surgery or endovascular repair. However, these approaches have high morbidity and mortality, indicating a need for new methods. With advances in endoscopic techniques and equipment, haemoclipping of fistulas has now become feasible. Therefore, we present a systematic review of the English literature and a rare case of a PAEF successfully treated by endoscopic haemoclipping.

CASE SUMMARY

A 74-year-old man with an abdominal aortic aneurysm presented with symptoms of haemorrhagic shock and bloody stools. An oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopy was performed with haemoclipping of a suspected PAEF in the third part of the duodenum. Afterward, a computed tomography-angiography showed a contrast filled protrusion from the abdominal aortic aneurysm. Based on the clinical presentation and the combined endoscopic and radiographic findings, we argue that this is a case of a PAEF.

CONCLUSION

Endoscopic therapy appears capable of achieving haemodynamic stabilisation in patients with bleeding PAEF, serving as a bridge to final therapy.

Clinical efficacy of the over-the-scope clip device: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

The over-the-scope clip (OTSC) system has been increasingly utilized as a non-surgical option to endoscopically manage refractory gastrointestinal (GI) hemorrhage, perforations/luminal defects and fistulas. Limited data exist evaluating the efficacy and safety of OTSC.

AIM

To determine the clinical success and adverse event (AE) rates of OTSC across all GI indications.

METHODS

A PubMed search was conducted for eligible articles describing the application of the OTSC system for any indication in the GI tract. Any article or case series reporting data for less than 5 total patients was excluded. The primary outcome was the rate of clinical success. Secondary outcomes included: Technical success rate, OTSC-related AE rate and requirement for surgical intervention despite-OTSC placement. Pooled rates (per-indication and overall) were calculated as the number of patients with the event of interest divided by the total number of patients.

RESULTS

A total of 85 articles met our inclusion criteria (n = 3025 patients). OTSC was successfully deployed in 94.4% of patients (n = 2856/3025). The overall rate of clinical success (all indications) was 78.4% (n = 2371/3025). Per-indication clinical success rates were as follows: (1) 86.0% (1120/1303) for GI hemorrhage; (2) 85.3% (399/468) for perforation; (3) 55.8% (347/622) for fistulae; (4) 72.6% (284/391) for anastomotic leaks; (5) 92.8% (205/221) for defect closure following endoscopic resection (e.g., following endoscopic mucosal resection or endoscopic submucosal dissection); and (6) 80.0% (16/20) for stent fixation. AE’s related to the deployment of OTSC were only reported in 64 of 85 studies (n = 1942 patients), with an overall AE rate of 2.1% (n = 40/1942). Salvage surgical intervention was required in 4.7% of patients (n = 143/3025).

CONCLUSION

This systematic review demonstrates that the OTSC system is a safe and effective endoscopic therapy to manage GI hemorrhage, perforations, anastomotic leaks, defects created by endoscopic resections and for stent fixation. Clinical success in fistula management appears limited. Further studies, including randomized controlled trials comparing OTSC with conventional and/or surgical therapies, are needed to determine which indication(s) are the most effective for its use.

Endoscopic closure systems for perforations, fistulas, and leaks. In expert hands or in all endoscopy units?

Improvement and innovation have been ongoing in gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy for the last few years, including highly maneuverable endoscopes, high-definition visualization, digital chromoendoscopy, and wide working channels, which allow a correct identification, catheterization, and delimitation of early neoplastic lesions. Technological innovation has also provided novel devices, both to perform treatments and prevent complications.